Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger

On May 9th we celebrate the death anniversary of our foundress Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger. She was a Wonder Woman in the best sense of the word. She believed the need for love, security and food were as important as education. She was born in 1797 in Bavaria and died in 1879.

The piece of wood that I used to carve her is a very special kind of wood called Red Honduras Mahogany. It was a gift from a man who had found it on a ship when he was in the Navy and had kept it for many years. One day he came to my studio and shared it with me. I kept it for a very special carving. It is a long and slender piece on which I portray Blessed Theresa holding her heart. One of my favorite quotes of hers is “The heart forms itself according to what it loves.” She trusted and dared.